On Brands & Labels

'Nother work-from-home day, so no outfit (wearing bat-print leggings & a black T, aka PJs ;-). Thus, some rambling thots...

My wardrobe contains a lot of pretty mainstream labels & less pricey ones at that. Target, Old Navy, & thrift stores figure prominently into my shopping patterns. The Gap is one of the more expensive places I shop, & then it's primarily for pants because, wow, they fit my curvy shortness. I occasionally buy expensive shoes -- & I tend to love the hell out of them -- but even so, a lot of my shoes are from DSW-type sales racks or from swaps with friends.

The one thing that I really don't have much are clothes from typically gothic brands. Partly, this is because I don't dress wildly over-the-top on a regular basis. But more often, this is because I'm not thrilled with the quality & fit of labels like Lip Service or Tripp. If I spend $30 on a blazer from Target, I won't cry if it falls apart in a year (tho' they tend not to). But the goth brands tend to sell a jacket for $60, of a quality that is likely to fall apart in a year. Not great.

I'll pay more for well-constructed pieces. I've sewn clothing since I was a kid, so I understand how things are made & how different materials wear & last. But I like to pick my battles -- not every single garment or accessory needs to be top-notch. Structured, tailored items can look crappy if they're made poorly or of cheap materials, so those are worth a few more bucks. Less fitted garments & stretchy clothes don't show their own flaws (or yours) quite as dramatically.

I don't pay much for summer sandals & plan to replace them every year or two. An occasional pair of ridiculous heels should be cheap because I won't wear them often or for very long. Boots are always worth shelling out money for in my book.

Your mileage may vary, of course.